Bookmarker



Patented Feb. 6, 1940 srrs BooKMAnKEn y Russell C. Rathsam,`Chicago,` Ill. l y Applicatien November v1, 1937seria1 No. .172,119

2 Claims. (Cl. 116-119) This invention relates to bookmarkers and particularly to bookmarkers which are intended to indicate designated portions of reading matter.

\ While the invention is applicable to all manner of books, it is particularly adapted for use with certain religious books, such as the Holy Bible and the well known book Science and Health, which is a daily manual of Christian Scientists.

The invention will, therefore, be described in is set for each week in this book for members of that faith, which may include a large number of extracts or portions of the book. Thus, there may be as many as thirty sections to be read and these sections are not arranged in the same order as th-e pages, but `may be located irregularly with respect to the order of the pages throughout the book. Consequently, reading a complete lesson is frequently rendered quite diiiicult by the l mechanics of locating the portions of reading matter whichare to be read successively.

According to my invention IY provide a bookmarlrer which indicates the general location, that is the pageor pages, on which the-portions of reading matter are located and the order ,l in

which they are to be read. I further provide. means for indicating the beginning` and the end of each portion which is to be read.

f The invention will readily be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction' with vthe accompanying drawing, in which: l

Figure 1 is a plan View of a `book provided with my improved marker, the front cover being open;

Fig. `2 is a fragmentary perspective Viewy showing the upper end of the bookmarker elements; Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1, showing the book open; l

Fig. 4 is an elevational View of a supplementary marker stem; f

Fig. 5 is an elevational viewk of a sliding clip for indicating the beginning or the end of the portion to be read;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail View on an enlarged scale, the section being taken on the line B- of Fig. 3

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a modied form of clip, and 1 Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view showing a pair of still further modified clips. o

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral l indicates a book, of which the iront cover is designated II, and the rear cover I2. I

` leaves M, the band I1 being inserted into the pages.

'2li which are adapted to be brought into alignf ends IQ are located closer to the binding than provide a pair of `end 'stem members I3 which are somewhat longer than the leaves I4`of they book. These end stem members are located between the covers II and IZandthe adjacent leaves of the book, in the manner shown in Fig. '5 l. Thel endstem members mayjsuitably be made from sheet material of adequate rigidity. Sheet material of Celluloid or other plastic, or material of fabric or paper base suitably impregnated to render it rigid, may be employed. 1u

The end stemme'mberV is relatively wide for the major portion ofits length, but has ends I which are reduced, as shown in Fig. 1. The re-` duced ends I5 are provided with notches I6 which open to the ends of the end stem members I 3. These notches I6 may suitably be waisted, in the manner shown in Fig. 1. It is to be noted that'the end members I5 arel'ocated unsymmetrically with respect to the axis of the end stem members I3, and they are applied to the book so that the longitudinal edge away from `the reduced portions I5 is locatedin the angle between lthe* adjacent cover and the bindings;

notches I6 in the manner` shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The transverse portionsof the band Il serve as supports for the intermediate stem members l i8 which are` located between adjacent leaves Ill for the purpose of indicating that a portion of reading matter begins on oneof the adjacent The intermediate stem members I8 may be made of the samematerial as the end stem` members I3, although they are preferably made of a lighter stock. The intermediate stem member I8 comprises a major length and two ends IS whichare' offset in the manner shown in Fig. 3.

The end members I9 are provided with notches ment with the notches Il of theend stem members I3. When the intermediate stem members I8 are placed between adjacent leaves, the offset 0 is the major length of the end stem members, as 5 shown in Fig. 3. The intermediate stem inem-` bers I3 are installed between the appropriate.

`leaves by merely bending them slightly and` the case may be, so as to bring the transverse portions of the rubber band I1 into the slots 20.

The intermediate stem members I8 are provided with transverse arms 2| which extend horizontally across the pages and have ends which project therebeyond. These arms may be made of very light stock and they may be cemented to the intermediate stem members I8 at suitable positions. The arms 2| are preferably transparent.

The exposed portions of the arms 2| carry numbers, in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The

.arms 2| of each bookmarker set are located at different levels, as shown in Fig. 1, and these arms bear numbers which read consecutively in the downward direction. 'Ihat is, the arm which carries No. 1, the arm which carries No. 2, and the armk which carries No. 3, etc., are located successively in lower positions relative to the pages of the book. It must be understood that the numbered arms 2| are not necessarily located With any respect to the order of numbering of the pages of the book. Thus, the stem member I8 associated with No. l, may be located between pages 680 and 681. The intermediate stem member I8 which carries the indicia 2, may be located between pages 26 and 27, the intermediate stem member provided with the arm numbered 3, may be located between pages 216 and 217, and so forth, depending upon the portions of the book Ato be read and the order in which the portions are to be read. That is, that order may be haphazard with respect to the order of the lpages of the book, and the intermediate stem members I8 will consequently be located in haphazard order throughout the book. Nevertheless, the exposed portions of the arms 2| will appear in plan in the manner shown in Fig. 1. Consequently, theA portion to be read next can readily vbe located. f

In Fig. 3 is appears that the portion of reading No. 22 begins on either page 142 or 143. In order to indicate the beginning and the end of the portion to be read, I provide sliding clips of the general type shown in Fig. 5. These clips may be formed of the same stock as the intermediate stem members I8 and they are preferably of a contrasting color. The spring clip 22 shown in Fig. 5 comprises a small portion of stock which is provided'with-two slots 23 of such width that the intermediate stem member I8 may be passed therethrough in the manner shown in Fig. 6. It will be noted that when thus applied to one of the intermediate stem members I8, the upper and lower portions 24 of the tab, together with the side portions 25 thereof, define a rectangular frame on one side of the stem member I S, the intermediate bar 25 between the two slots 23 being located on the other side of the stem member I8. The clips 22 are provided with pointed projections 2l which indicate a line of the book in alignment with the rectangular frame referred to.

The intermediate stem members I8 bear nurnbers which correspond to the lines of the pages when the stem members are installed in the manner shown in Fig. 3. Consequently, when one of the clips 22 is located in the position shown for the rst clip in Fig. 3, it is indicated that the reading begins on line 2 of page 143. The second clip in Fig. 3 indicates that the reading terminates on line 9 of that page. If, however, reading No. 22 was intended for page 142, lines 13 to 17, for example, the clips 22 would `be inverted and located so that the numbers 13 and 17 on the reverse s ide of the intermediate stem member I8, shown in Fig. 3, would appear in their rectangular openings. The fth clip 28 shown in Fig. 3 is a modiiication of the clip 22. This clip is intended to indicate the line 22 which is not accessible with a clip 22 on account of the presence of the bar 2| at that point. The clip 29 shown in Fig. '7 is another modified clip which may be used when only two lines are to be read. The two clips shown in Fig. 8 are intended to be used when only a single line is to be read.

In order to take care of the case Where the reading starts on one page and extends beyond the end of the exposed odd-numbered page, that is, where the reading entails the turning over of one or more leaves, I provide an auxiliary intermediate stem member 3|] which is in all respects similar to the intermediate stem member I8, with the exception that it does not carry any arm 2|, it being intended merely to indicate the termination of the portion to be read.

In the operation of the device, the end stem members I3 and the flexible member Il' are installed in the manner described. The intermediate stem member bearing the number 1 is then taken and the book is opened to expose the page upon which the first reading starts. If the reading starts on the right-hand page, that is, the odd-numbered page thus exposed, a clip 22 is applied in the manner shown at the upper end of Fig. 3 and the clip is slid along until the number of the line at the beginning of the reading appears in the frame. If the reading is to start on the left-hand or even-numbered page, the clip 22 is reversed in the manner shown on the third clip from the top, on Fig. 3. In either case, a further clip is applied to indicate the end of the portion to be read.

If, however, the reading terminates on a page later than the exposed pages, a stem member 30 is employed at the appropriate location and a clip 22 is located thereon to indicate the line at which the reading terminates. The stem member I8 and the stem member 30, if it was necessary to employ one, are then assembled by locating the transverse portions of the rubber band I1 within their notches 20. The intermediate stem member I8 bearing the number 2 and another intermediate stem member 30, if such is necessary,

are then provided with clips corresponding to the second reading portion and are then assembled in the same way between the proper pages, and the successively numbered stem members corresponding. In the event that only two lines are to be read, the clip 29 is employed, and in the case that only one line is to be read a pair of clips 3| are employed in the manner shown in Fig. 8.

The book is now set for the reading of the successive portions. To use the book it is merely necessary forthe reader to open it at the place indicated by the arm bearing number l and to follow the indications aiorded by the clips. When portion No. 1 has been read, the reader 'turns to the pages indicated by the arm 2| bearing the number 2 and so forth, until the complete lesson has been read.

Although the invention has been disclosed in connection with the specific details of a preferred embodiment thereof, it must be understood that such details are not intended to be limitative of the invention except in so far as set forth in the Aaccompanying. claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I edges, a rubber band extending over the outer` sides of said stern members, through said notches and around the leaves of the book and having upper and lower lengths extending over and below the book leaves respectively, intermediate rigid stem members adapted to be located between certain of said leaves and provided with .similar notches adapted to be aligned with the notchesof sa-id end stem members and to receive said upper and lower lengthsof said rubber band` to hold said intermediate members in definite position relative to the adjacent `leaves of the book, the major `portion of each intermediate stem member being displaced outwardly away from its ends towards the outer side of the leaves, said displaced portions being provided with numbers corresponding to the lines of the bock, and

tabs slidably mounted on said outwardly displaced portions to indicate a number thereon and thecorresponding line on an adjacent page, the outward displacement of the majorportions of said intermediate stem members being suicient 35 to provide clearance for the movement of said tabs along their major portions.

2. In a bookmarker, in combination, a pair of rigid end stem members adapted to be located one between each cover andthe adjacent leaves of a book and having its inner edge closely adjacent the hinge of said cover, said stem members being provided with reduced ends oifset from said edge, said ends projecting beyond the upper and lower edges of said leaves and being provided with notches which open from the extremities a of said reduced offset ends and extend into a position substantially in register with said yleaf f edges, a rubber band extending over the outer sides of said stem members, through said notches and around the leaves of the book and having upper and lower lengths extending over and below the book leaves respectively, intermediate rigid `stein members adapted to be located between certain or" said leaves and provided with similar' notches adapted to be aligned with the `notches of said end stem members and to receive said upper and lower lengths of said rubber band toy hold said intermediate members in denite position relative tothe adjacent leaves of the book, the major portion of each intermediate stem member being displaced outwardly `away from its ends towards theouter side of the leaves, said displaced portions being provided with num# bers corresponding to the lines of the book, and tabs slidably mounted ,on said outwardly displaced'portions to indicate a number thereon and ,the corresponding line on `an adjacent page, the outward displacement'of the major portions of said intermediate stern members being sufficient to provide clearance for the movement of said tabs along said major portions. a

RUSSELL C. RA'I'HSAM. 

